|| Yaa Devi Sarva-Bhuteshu Shakti-Rupena Samsthitaa |
Namas-Tasyai Namas-Tasyai Namas-Tasyai Namo Namah ||
"To that Devi Who in All Beings is Abiding in the Form of Power,
Salutations to Her, Salutations to Her, Salutations to Her, Salutations again and again"
Dear Friends,
Hari Om !!
Shubh Navaratri to all of you.
A few weeks back, we discussed how Karma Yoga, Upasana Yoga and Jnana Yoga are the 3-fold sadhanas prescribed by the Shaastras to reach our inner true self. The divine festival of Navaratri beautifully describes this 3-fold path. This is a simple illustration describing the 3 sets of 3 days.
Pujya Guruji Swami Tejomayananda has written a beautiful article explaining the symbolism of this utsav, which you can access here.
We continued our journey of Karma Yoga, by watching a small clip showing the encounter between Prajapati Daksha and Bhagwaan Shiv Shankar Mahadev.
In response to Daksha's bombastic and boastful utterances, Bhagwaan reminds him that he was born to tend to society by encouraging people to walk on the path of Dharma. Just as the wind, rivers, mountains, trees, animals, etc. do their duty without bragging about it, we all should do our assigned duty without expressing stress or anxiety.
In the next section of Karma Yoga, Shri Krishna clearly lays out 4 reasons why we should follow a life of Karma Yoga (Proper Action with Proper Attitude). 1. Agya (Order): We can take the path of Karma Yoga (Sattvika Actions) as a Command of the Lord. This approach basically instills fear in the minds of people who don't have the mental maturity to follow the path of Karma Yoga.
2. Yagna (Worship): The second prescribed path is that of Worship and Dedication. By keeping God in mind, it encourages us to follow the path of Karma Yoga.
3. Shodhakam (Purifier of the Mind): Karma Yoga is the perfect path to Purify the Mind and make it fit for self-knowledge.
4. Dharma (Our true nature): Just like the nature of sugar is sweetness, our True Nature expressed as actions is Karma Yoga.
We can choose any method, depending on our maturity - but a life of Karma Yoga is what is prescribed.
Some other pointers that we discussed were:
Benefits of leading a life of Karma Yoga: We stand to gain all the 4 Purusharthas (Human Goals) - Artha (Security & Basic Amenities), Kama (Comforts & Luxuries), Dharma (Good wishes & auspiciousness) and Moksha (Bliss & Liberation).
Why do people commit sins: In response to Arjuna's question, Shri Krishna highlights the deadly 2-fold enemy = Kama (Selfish Desires) + Krodha (Anger). On a deeper level, these 2 can be listed as Raaga (Attachment) + Dwesha (Aversion).
But why Attachment + Aversion: This pair of enemies takes hold in us, if we put more focus on Artha and Kama, instead of graduating to Dharma and Moksha.
Short-term Solution: Shri Krishna says that the short term solution is Dama (Sense Control), Shama (Mind Control) and Viveka (Prioritization).
Long-term Solution: The long term solution according to Shri Krishna is Self-Knowledge or Jnana Yoga.
Friends: Verse 30 beautifully summarizes the topic of Karma Yoga. Please read the commentary for that verse. At the end of this blog, I have included several links to Gita reference material.
We did a small self-reflection exercise listing out our goals and our action plan.
Dear Friends - We will do a review of the next few chapters next Sunday. Kindly refer to the summary flow which will give you a good idea about the chapter.
Gita Reference Material:
Here is the link to some Gita reference material that you can access.
"We cannot live through a single day without making an impact on the world around us."
~ Swami Chinmayananda
Have a great week, friends !!
Hari Om !!
Praveen, Visveish, Ganesh
(ganeshk76@yahoo.com | 412-916-8780)